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2013 Prius 3 versus Prius 5

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by msmit002, Sep 30, 2013.

  1. msmit002

    msmit002 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
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    Hello all...

    So, a few months back I bought my third Prius (2013 Prius 3) and my mother bought her first (2013 Prius 5) the same day, from the same dealer.

    Now, her car is really nice. Has every bell and whistle except the solar roof. Has the HUD, leather seats, the 'keep you from crashing into the car in front of you' and 'keep you from drifting out of your lane' features too.

    Her audio system and phone integration. It's nice. Really nice. A helluva lot nicer than mine. :-/

    So, I have an iPhone 4 and the only way I can get the darned thing to talk to my car is by physically hooking it up to the USB port. Fine. I took it as 'it is what it is' and just plugged it in whenever I needed it. I figured it was just Toyota not able to program the car to do it all through BlueTooth or without a wireless Hotspot. Fine.

    Then, I drove Mom's Prius 5 back home to New York this weekend. And boy, did I get spoiled! I didn't have to plug in my phone once! As soon as it connected via BT, my music started playing. No needlessly charging my battery just to listen to my iPod like in my Prius 3.

    So, here's the question... Obviously the Prius 5 has some nicely upgraded features in the MFD etc. Is there a way to swap out my unit in my Prius 3 for a unit from a Prius 5? Or is there an aftermarket gadget? (My 2006 Prius has CoastalTech's Lockpick.) I really like what Mom has. I figure its a pipe dream to be able to swap out the whole head unit, Nav and all, but not having to plug in my darned iPhone each time would be nice.

    Many thanks, in advance...
     
    #1 msmit002, Sep 30, 2013
  2. bathala

    bathala Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2013
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    Location:
    Area 52
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Persona
    #2 bathala, Sep 30, 2013
  3. DtEW

    DtEW Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2013
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    Location:
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Yeah, exactly. I have a 2013 Prius Two and I've linked both my Android and my GF's iPhone 5 to the car for both streaming Pandora and phone calls, both by Bluetooth. You should look carefully in your manual.
     
    #3 DtEW, Sep 30, 2013
  4. Alan Claver

    Alan Claver Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2013
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    Location:
    Central Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    A couple of things. The reason a Type 5 Prius has a different behavior is because of the upgraded head unit. The "general" audio system manual points out that the lower level head units requires iOS devices to be USB connected for some of the features that work properly over Bluetooth in the higher end units.

    You also mentioned that Type 5 Prius "the 'keep you from crashing into the car in front of you" option. Just to be clear, there is no such option. You may be referring to the dynamic cruise control which keeps a certain set distance between your car and the car ahead regardless of speed. This won't prevent a crash in any way - it disconnects at a minimum speed and can't apply the brakes.

    Also the Type 5 doesn't have leather seats (unless you went with a 3rd party custom job) but rather Toyota uses a synthetic leather-like material (Softex). It's nice and very leather like although it's not as smooth as leather.

    No criticism intended but just wanted the record to be clear for any non Type 5 owners reading.

    Sorry I can't answer your original question. I'm guessing if it's possible it's a hugely expensive proposition.
     
    #4 Alan Claver, Sep 30, 2013
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